The consumer stated the home fire hazard created by faulty design of non ul approved personal snow plow use for SUV manufactured by western products. Snow plow electric motor was unfused and overheated not responding to the comman controller shorting out and causing a serious expensive fire.

- Highland Park, IL, USA

My name is[xxx] and I own a 2002 Ford Explorer XLT (V6). I have owned it for almost a year now (will be in Jan 2012) and loved every minute of it until recently. About 4 months ago, I heard a strange loud whining noise. I immediately took it to my mechanic and found that rear wheel bearing was going. I was also told that if I would have took the interstate to work that evening I could have possibly died or caused serious injuries to others on road. Very scary! mind you this bearing went with no warning. Immediately after I heard the noise I took it in. Well the bearing got fixed and I couldn't have been happier. However, about a month ago I was on the interstate with my two year old daughter doing about 70mph when my truck began to shake violently. I assumed I was in the process of having a tire blow-out and began slowly breaking and losing control of the vehicle. Luckily I made it onto the shoulder of the interstate. My tire however was not as lucky. All 5 studs on my right rear tire snapped causing the tire to completely fly off and proceed down the road at a fast speed just passing the turn ramp and missing several other vehicles. In the process of losing the tire, it also caused damage to rear end of my SUV. It looked as if the tire got caught and caused the rear to dent in.replaced studs and everything seemed fine. Today (Dec.15th) not even an entire month later, vehicle started shaking again. Oh how I remembered that scary shake. Examined tire and once again, studs snapped. 2 this time with a third one missing the cap. The tire was only held by 2 studs. Thank the lord I noticed this problem before going onto the interstate and once again having my tire fly off! I have been doing research this evening to find that this is a common problem with the 02-04 Explorer. Please make a recall Ford and others help me to get one made! this is a scary and dangerous situation! it can cause the loss of many lives as it has almost done mine and my daughters. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information a

- Newport, DE, USA

O/D light flashes for a few days then at around 25 mph the gear switches into neutral and runs very rough then the car is thrown forward. Had a rebuilt transmission (we were told we were getting a brand new transmission and paid extra for it!) at 83K miles on Oct 15, 2010 then Feb 5, 2011 the same exact thing happens. The dealer cannot take the truck for another 5 days and refused to give me a loner car because it is not under the warranty. Please note: Below I put in the first incident date, Feb 2011 is the second incident date. In may of 2009 I was told my engine failed at about 76,000 miles. We did buy the extended warranty and we were covered. The Ford dealership told us we were not covered. They had our truck for 3 weeks until the warranty people called the dealership and let them know it should be fixed. We also had a rental car or a loner car under the warranty. They refused to pay for a rental car and said they did not have a loaner car available. It took 4 more weeks (in total 7 weeks) to get the truck back and never paid for the rental.

- Brookfield, CT, USA

Water and melting snow leak into the vehicle onto the dome lights, garage door opener, and sunroof switch and motor due to the sunroof drain hoses becoming clogged or developing holes in them. Water coming in contact with these items can short them out or start a fire.

- Westerville, OH, USA

I was traveling to mt. Washington, ky. From lorain, Ohio, ( approx. 330 miles). We stopped at the rest are at the halfway mark, between Washington ch, oh. & jeffersonvlle, oh. When we came back out, started the car, & it wouldn't go into reverse. Pushed it out of the parking spot & it wouldn't go in drive either. About 30 miles before, it made some clunking noises & it felt like we had a flat tire. I took it out of cruise control & it drove normally until the rest area. I had to have it towed to Washington courthouse & then back home on Monday, Nov., 29th, (at my own expense). Approximate cost of repair to date was $2969. I had my daughter & 6 yr. Old great granddaughter with me & I feel this could have possibly ended with disastrous results. Ford has known about these faulty transmissions probably from day 1. I'm not trying to just blast Ford, happen to be an employee. I feel they need to man up & take care of this problem before it leads to serious consequences.

- Lorain, OH, USA

I am so disgusted after reading all the same problems with the 2002 Ford Explorer. I too have the airbag problem, they told me it was the airbag pretentioner and it is $650, now my air bag will not deploy if I get into an accident. I have the extended deluxe warranty that wont cover it. I also have a problem with the rear temp and mode actuators that failed and binding again not covered under warranty that is $510 to repair. I truly think Ford should recall these same problems.

- Coventry, CT, USA

Transmission on my 2002 Ford Explorer failed for the 2nd time in 2009 of December. I was on the highway when this happen and could have caused an accident.

- Grandview, MO, USA

Major transmission problems at 106K miles on my Ford Explorer XLT 4.0L. This was not due to poor maintenance or up keep! shifting into neutral going 75 miles an hr down the freeway, shifting out of place, rough, scary shifts, shimming from the transmission jumping allover the place is just the beginning. After 5 trips to the mechanic, first I did wires, then plugs, then updated computer, full tranny flush and finally had to rebuilt the transmission due to the solenoids in the transmission being defective and faulty per a Ford service manager in owatonna, mn. The service manager informed me that Ford was looking at making it a recall, but it wasn't the top of their priority list and maybe they would eventually get to it! he has seen many of these trucks in the shop with their "busy" transmissions, and the same issues! this was the issue all along..after all of the service appts, and money spent nothing was resolved, until the transmission was rebuilt! $4K later just for the tranny repair! for their faulty defective transmission solenoids! as if the truck didn't already cost enough! and the troubleshooting "bandaids" (which between the tranny, diagnostics, labor etc total well over $5500!!) I contacted Ford after directed to due so my (their) technician and employee of 25 yrs. I read all the posts of duplicate complaints (I see there are several other consumers in my situation!), to inform them of the money I've lost, time incurred into this headache, and all the days I went without a vehicle for my family that I had nothing to do with it was their equipment! that it was their fault! curious about what their compensation was, if any, going to be. Or what they planned on doing about it! and after several service appt, $5500 loss and numerous complaints that Ford is aware of the rep stated basically said oh well! its ur problem not ours!!! lol!

- Faribault, MN, USA

My 2002 Ford Explorer limited 4X4 had a chiming noise followed by a O/D blinking light on wed. I put the car in park and hit the button for O/D a couple of times it then went out. I drove it straight home. I was only two minutes from my house. The next day I drove it and it acted like it wouldn't or couldn't shift right. I do not understand how a car that is pampered could go so wrong. I had to replace both four wheel drive motors this winter and I hardly use it. The four wheel would not engage. Now I am told that I probably need a new tranny and that it is very expensive.I don't have alot of money. I have always owned Ford but never again! I think Ford should recall all these trannys and fix them just like Toyota fixed their problems. Maybe I should by Toyota.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

I would like to make a complaint regarding the Ford window regulator. I know that the F150 I believe has had the same complaints. However, I currently own a 2002 Ford Explorer. Both window regulators have broke on my vehicle a week apart. I believe that since so many people are having a problem with their Ford vehicle window regulators that this should be a recall. I know that after a certain year Ford had changed the way power windows worked. Well, now the window cable on both back windows has snaped. I would like to contact Ford to make a complaint and to suggest a recall for the window regulators on the 2002 Ford Explorer. Thank you.

- Centereach, NY, USA

Blend door in all Ford Explorer causes no heat, icy foggy windshields!!!!

- Attleboro, MA, USA

Event/situation: Hesitates and chokes at 40-45 miles per hour when trying to accelerate, along with a slight rubbing sensation felt through the steering wheel and gas peddle. They advised replacing the upper ball joints. They also stated a weak battery which was replaced. This did seem to fix various faulty false electrical issues: Interior lights staying on and false light/dashboard readings. Faulty transmission, emissions or plugs/wiring have been possibilities. I've taken it to Goodyear who recommended changing out the plugs and wires, along with a flush. I've been told that flushes can ruin parts on older vehicles and cause other expensive problems. I found a few websites were there are many other customers having these same issues with the 2002 Ford Explorer. Ford has been notified and aware of these transmission issues and expensive problems, covering up with other little recalls like the wiring harness. I, like many, are being forced to pay for faulty transmissions. I believe this needs to be investigated and make Ford pay for recalls and repairs. It has been taken to the Ford dealership for its oil change and a wiring recall approximately two weeks ago, in January 2010. Here is the website with many other Ford Explorer official complaints who demand a responsible/reliable recall fix from Ford. www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/2002/transmission/O_D_light_is_blinking.shtml.

- Holly Hill, FL, USA

I opened the liftgate glass to my Ford Explorer in order to load groceries into the back. The glass came down on my head and I pushed it back up off of me when it exploded all over the place. The molding came down onto my head and my back (I was still leaning into the car). Because it was very cold out, I was wearing a heavy coat with a hat and the hood pulled up onto my head, so this cushioned the impact onto my back and head. Glass was everywhere. There have been several recalls on this piece of equipment since we have had the truck, but the last one was about 5 years ago. The dealer told me it would be my responsibility to fix. I don't believe that liftgates should just be falling off of cars or exploding, even if the car is 8 years old.

- Paramus, NJ, USA

I purchased my 2002 Ford Explorer in August 2002. I have been having transmission slippage gear problems since 2003. While driving my 2002 Ford Explorer my transmission will slip without prior warning and just immediately stop accelerating and often completely shuts down. I have had this happen to me since 2003 and have brought it back into the dealer more than three times. Two times they said nothing was found. In March 2004 they finally acknowledged that something was wrong, did a quick flush to the transmission replaced the torque and sent me back out with the problem still occurring. On 10/16/09 now the O/D off light began to blink and once again I brought it back in and now they say I need a new transmission. My vehicle only has 45,000 miles and they are trying to say that this problem is not a safety or manufactures defect!! are you kidding me? I have never driven off road, and with such low mileage, how could this not be a defect. I have luckily avoided several accidents when my vehicle suddenly slips gears, stops accelerating and I have to immediately throw on my hazards, and try to pull off the road immediately!! I researched online and found that nearly 800 others are having the same sort of transmission related problems and have posted them on auto beef. I really need someone to help me and look out for the honest, americans who have brought an amercian car and are being lied to and treated with no customer service or respect. This is exactly why americans are buying foreign made cars!! please help us and recall the transmission, and have the correct people held accountable...the maker, not the buyer.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

I have a 2002 Ford Explorer limited that has had continuous rear axle leaking and operating issues. I have had the bearings replaced three times, the shaft axle seal replaced, the knuckle assembly replaced and the spindle replaced. I had this work done at cortese auto group in henrietta NY (585-475-1211) in June of 2007 and April of 2008. I just noticed differential fluid leaking from the rear axle assembly area on March 16, 2009 and called the cortese group to see if they would honor their previous repair. They advised me that I was beyond the "original problem" 2007 repair date and the cost was on my own. To repair this leaky axle seal will cost me in the neighborhood of $400 and considering this has been an ongoing issue with this vehicle, I feel Ford Motor Company or cortese should fix this problem with no cost to me. I have done some research online and it appears this problem is very common among Ford Explorer (had I known that at the time of my purchase, I would have reconsidered buying from Ford). If this problem is very common among Ford Explorer and is a safety issue, why is it not considered a recall and repaired by the manufacturer of the vehicle? please advise me what my rights are and if anything can be done on behalf of other affected consumers. After all, in this tough economy, who has $400 to throw at a problem that was a known deficiency to Ford and one that should have been addressed by the company...

- Rochester, NY, USA

3/4/08 motor sized no steering no brakes at 62000 mi. Bht rebuilt motor from Ford 3yr/75000mi warranty 2/8/09 motor sized no steering no brakes at 71000mi -11mos /9000mi later 2/16/09 towed to malouf Ford S.B.NJ need other motor no rebuilt motors available from Ford I have no car-Ford will not give loaner or rental.

- East Brunswick, NJ, USA

Have engine problem warranty will not cover because dealer put back odometer.

- Waterbury, CT, USA

2002 Ford Explorer lift gate clip on applicator is and has been splitting from top to bottom every time some one closed the lift gate I saw this on many other Ford Explorer and it cost {us -S 300 dollars to install a new one at the dealers shops to repair. Some thing need to be done Ford manufacture need to reimburse to fix this problems now and in the future I cannot afford to fix my Explorer so I am waiting to see if Ford can fix this problem for me and others like me who cannot afford to fix the problem I believe something should be done. Please for a reply at my email thank you sincerely E J.

- Schenectady , NY, USA

Wheel bearings on 2002 Ford Explorer are wearing out without any notice. I never had a car that experienced this issue. This is a sever problem as I drive my small children around in. Knowing that a wheel could eventually come off scares the life out of me. There is no recall from as this is a manufacture defect.

- Jackson, NJ, USA

Within four months from date of purchase my 2002 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD start having problems. They are: 1. vibration inside including physical movement inside when driving with rear window crack over 30 mph. The faster you drive the grater the vibration. I took the Explorer to several dealers, they inform me that this is normal and it's refer to as helicopter effect. 2. the digital keypad stop working. 2. the keys don't open the door 3. the transmission slip, kick and delays when put in drive or reverse. 4.transmission delays going into overdrive. 5.the passenger side quarter panel glass shatter twice, at first I taught someone had broke it and my son reported it to the police. The insurance company replace it and few months later in my garage it shatter again and that's when it all came together. This time my son fix it for me. 6.theres also a winding some coming from under the SUV and my son thinks it have something to do with the diff, keeping the vibration in mind. 6. the latch that secure the rear where the jack handle is located broke.

- Ocala, FL, USA